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How Dubai is helping stranded expat mother and her newborn go home
During their stay, they have been provided with temporary accommodation, meals, medical care, clothing and other daily necessities
- PUBLISHED: Wed 29 Jul 2026, 2:53 PM
A Kenyan woman who was stranded in Dubai after travelling to the UAE in search of work is being helped to return home with her newborn baby.
The woman had arrived hoping to secure employment and support her family in Kenya. Instead, a series of difficult circumstances left her unable to work or afford the journey home.
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While still in the UAE, she gave birth to her child, leaving her without a home, income or the documents needed to travel.
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She and her newborn are now staying at Dubai’s Centre for Harbouring, a facility operated by the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) for people who have overstayed their visas or fallen into vulnerable circumstances.
Officials are working with the Kenyan authorities to finalise the documents required for the mother and child to return home.
During their stay, they have been provided with temporary accommodation, meals, medical care, clothing and other daily necessities.
The centre also offers psychological counselling and social support, while dedicated teams coordinate with embassies to secure emergency travel documents and arrange flights.
Lieutenant General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, Director General of GDRFA Dubai, said many of the people who arrive at the facility had traveled to the UAE after being misled by recruiters in their home countries.
“Many of them came to Dubai hoping to work and support their families, but they were deceived before leaving their countries,” he said.
“We don’t look at them simply as immigration cases. We look at them as human beings who need support during one of the most difficult periods of their lives.”
He said staff work to understand each resident’s circumstances and help resolve the legal and practical issues preventing them from returning home.
“We don’t tell people, ‘This is your problem.’ We listen to them, we help them, and we stand beside them because, in the end, we are all human.”
The Kenyan mother’s case is among thousands handled by the centre each year, including people who have lost their jobs, overstayed their visas or become victims of fraudulent recruitment arrangements.
She and her baby will remain at the facility until their documents and travel arrangements are completed.
For the mother, the assistance means the prospect of finally ending months of uncertainty and beginning a new chapter with her child back home.
Arwa Almazrouei is an Arabic editor passionate about storytelling and journalism, and creating impactful content that highlights culture, society, and the inspirational.